Mellencamp continued to explore social commentary and new musical avenues with 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee. He also became known for his anti-corporate stance, refusing to accept tour sponsorship offers from beer and tobacco companies. in the U.S.A." Following the release of Scarecrow, Mellencamp became an outspoken advocate of the American farmer, organizing Farm Aid with Willie Nelson and Neil Young. Peaking at number two, Scarecrow generated the Top Ten singles "Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," and "R.O.C.K. Scarecrow displayed a greater social consciousness and musical eclecticism, resulting in his best-reviewed - as well as his biggest - album to date. While he had commercial success, Mellencamp made his bid for critical acclaim with his next album, 1985's Scarecrow. Uh-Huh was released while American Fool was still high on the charts, and it became a hit, peaking at number nine and generating the Top Ten hits "Crumblin' Down" and "Pink Houses," as well as the Top 15 "Authority Song." He supported the album with his first headlining tour. The success of American Fool meant that he could add "Mellencamp" to his stage name, and 1983's Uh-Huh became the first album credited to John Cougar Mellencamp. More focused than his earlier records, American Fool rocketed to number one on the strength of the number two hit "Hurts So Good" and the number one single "Jack and Diane," both of which were supported by videos that became MTV favorites. Mellencamp's next album, 1982's American Fool, became his breakthrough, both commercially and musically. Steve Cropper produced 1980's Nothin' Matters and What If It Did, which contained the Top 30 hits "This Time" and "Ain't Even Done with the Night." However, Johnny Cougar (1979) spawned the Top 40 hit "I Need a Lover," which also became an AOR hit for Pat Benatar a few years later. Two years later, he signed with Riva Records, releasing A Biography (1978) to little attention. The fiasco of his first album was enough to sour Mellencamp on the industry for the remainder of his career. Chestnut Street Incident was a bomb and MCA immediately dropped the singer. Upon receiving the finished album in 1976, he was infuriated to learn that DeFries had billed the singer as Johnny Cougar.
Mellencamp recorded an album of covers called Chestnut Street Incident. In New York, Mellencamp became a client of David Bowie's manager, Tony DeFries, who signed him to a lucrative deal with MainMan/MCA. By the time he was 24, he had decided to move to New York City to attempt to break into the music industry.
#John mellencamp band series
When he was 17, he eloped with Priscilla Esterline, his pregnant girlfriend, and proceeded to try to support his family by working a series of blue-collar jobs.
He formed his first band at the age of 14, and continued to play throughout his teens.
As a teenager, he was rebellious, often getting in trouble with the law. As a child in Seymour, Indiana, Mellencamp had suffered a number of setbacks, including being born with a neural tube defect called spina bifida that necessitated a lengthy hospitalization as a baby. Furthermore, he sustained his popularity over the ensuing decades, only occasionally experiencing dips in record sales.Ī prolonged, acclaimed career seemed an impossibility when Mellencamp released his first album under the name Johnny Cougar in 1976. Scarecrow, released in 1985, fulfilled his wish of being taken seriously, and his subsequent records were greeted warmly by critics. For some artists, this would be easy to ignore, but Mellencamp had the desire to be a serious social commentator, chronicling the times and trials of Midwestern baby boomers. While he had the record sales, it took several years before rock critics took him seriously. His musical development coincided with his growth in popularity - by the time "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" became hits in 1982, Mellencamp had created his own variation of the heartland rock of Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Bob Seger. As his career progressed, his music became more distinctive, developing into a Stonesy blend of hard rock and folk-rock. Mellencamp began his career in the late '70s as a Bruce Springsteen clone called Johnny Cougar. Of course, he never made it easy on himself. Throughout his career, John Mellencamp has had to fight, whether it was for the right to record under his own name or for respect as an artist.
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